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Indonesia Volcano Erupts Again; Kills At Least 11

Villagers and a journalist prepare to flee as Mount Sinabung releases pyroclastic flows during an eruption in Namantaran, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Saturday.Photo: AP Photo

MOUNT SINABUNG, Indonesia (AP) — A volcano in western Indonesia has unleashed fresh clouds of searing gas, killing at least 11 people and injuring three others.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says several eruptions of Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra province on Saturday sent lava and pyroclastic flows down the southern slopes up to 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) away.

He says the volcano is still spitting clouds of gas and lava as high as 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), and the number of dead could rise as the rescue efforts are hampered by darkness.

Authorities on Friday allowed nearly 14,000 villagers to return home after they fled following previous eruptions.

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